Cigarette-lighter flint wheel action

ABSTRACT

In this pyrophoric cigarette-lighter a casing is slidably mounted in the lighter body and has two end walls engaged internally by the opposite ends of a slightly prestressed coil spring in constant meshing engagement with a pinion operatively connected in the conventional manner with the flint wheel. Mechanical energy is stored in the spring and when released it is accelerated by continuing the exertion of pressure on the keyforming casing.

United States Patent n 1 Chevallier 1 CIGARETTE-LIGHTER FLINT WHEEL ACTION [75] Inventor: Pierre Chevallier, Sainte-Foy-les- Lyon, France [73] Assignee: Etablissements Genoud & Cie,

Venissieux, Rhone, France [22] Filed: Dec. 29, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 213,270

[52] US. Cl .431/274, 431/275 [51] Int. Cl ..F23q 1/02 [58] Field of Search ..431/273, 274, 275, 431/276 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,582,882 1/1952 Moller ...431/274 1,044,815 11/1912 Philippen ....43l/274 III! May 1, 1973 Primary ExaminerCarroll B. Dority, Jr. Att0rneyEric 1-1. Waters et a1.

[ 5 7] ABSTRACT accelerated by continuing the exertion of pressure on the key-forming casing.

3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures Patented May 1, 1973 3,730,671

CIGARETTE-LIGHTER FLINT WHEEL ACTION FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to lighters, notably gas lighters, the ignition of which is obtained by throwing sparks produced by rotatably driving a knurled wheel in frictional contact with a pyrophoric flint.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention is concerned more particularly with cigarette-lighters of this general type wherein the flint wheel is driven with the interposition of a ratchet wheel from a pinion meshing with a rack consisting of a helical spring such as a coil spring.

The present invention provides an improved arrangement of this general type which, while having a particularly simple and economical structure, ensures a swift and energic rotation of the wheel as required for a reliable, satisfactory ignition.

According to this invention, the rack-forming spring is mounted in abutment and in a slightly pre-stressed condition between two registering inner faces of a control key or press-button, so that it follows the movement thereof and acts as a resilient connecting member between said key and the wheel-driving pawl carrier, whereby mechanical energy is accumulated upstream of the wheel, during the initial portion of the key stroke, due to the compression of said spring, until the value of the energy thus accumulated becomes greater than the starting reaction torque exerted by the wheel on the flint, said wheel being thus suddenly driven for rotation both by the expansion of said spring and by the continuing movement of said key.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING A clearer understanding of this invention will be had if reference is made to the accompanying drawing illus- DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Mounted for free rotation on the body 1 Of the cigarette lighter are a shaft 2, a pinion 3 and a wheel 4 interconnected in the usual freewheel fashion by a pawl 5. This body 1 also houses a pyrophoric flint 6 urged against the wheel 4 by a spring 7.

This body 1 further encloses a coil spring 8 of which the turns constitute the teeth of a rack meshing with said pinion 3. This spring 8 is slightly pre-stressed by engaging the opposite inner faces of a casing 9 slidably mounted on said body 1 and constituting a control push-button or key. i

In the inoperative position the push-button is in the position shown in FIG. 3; 7

To rotate the wheel 4 and thus produce the sparks necessary for igniting the gas released from other means (not shown) of the cigarette lighter, it is only necessary to press the push-button 9 in the direction of the arrow (FIG. 3).

During the first fraction of its stroke the wheel is not driven due to the reaction torque exerted by the wheel on the flint, so that the spring 8 is compressed in its portion extending upstream of itsmeshing engagement with pinion 3 (FIG. 4). Thus, mechanical energy is stored until this energy overcomes the aforesaid reaction torque. Then the pinion and therefore the wheel are suddenly driven both by the expansion of spring 8 and by the continuing forward movement of the pushbutton (FIGS).

An auxiliary spring (not shown) is provided for returning the push-button and its rack-forming spring to their inoperative or initial position by causing the pawl 5 to slip when the pressure previously exerted on the push-button is released.

Of course, various modifications may be brought to the single form of embodiment described and illustrated herein, without inasmuch departing from the spirit and scope of the inventionas set forth in the appended claims. I

What is claimed as new is 1. In a cigarette lighter operating on liquid natural gas or other fuel, having a pyropho'ric flint spring urged against a flint wheel mounted for loose rotation on a shaft journalled in the body of the cigarette lighter, a spring pawl engaging ratchet teeth formed on said flint wheel, in the fashion of a freewheel, said pawl being disposed concentrically on said shaft on one side of said wheel, a pinion also mounted for loose rotation on said shaft and formed with at least one peripheral notch engaged by a bent lug of said pawl for rotatably driving same in one direction and a coil spring tangent to, and in constant meshing engagement with, said pinion so as to act as a rack in relation thereto, a substantially rectangular casing slidably mounted on a lateral portion of said cigarette lighter body and having opposite inner faces engaged by the ends of said coil spring slightly prestressed therebetween.

2. In a lighter according to claim 1, said casing and coil spring are'so disposed in said initial, inoperative position that said casing can be used as a push-button for operating the flint .wheel and producting the ignition sparks.

3. In a cigarette lighter as set forth in claim 2, the relative initial, inoperative positions of said casing and coil spring are such that when said casing acting as a pushbutton is depressed mechanical energy is firstly stored in said coil spring and suddenly released and accelerated by continuingthe exertion of pressure on said push-button, for improving the spark generation. 

1. In a cigarette lighter operating on liquid natural gas or other fuel, having a pyrophoric flint spring urged against a flint wheel mounted for loose rotation on a shaft journalled in the body of the cigarette lighter, a spring pawl engaging ratchet teeth formed on said flint wheel, in the fashion of a freewheel, said pawl being disposed concentrically on said shaft on one side of said wheel, a pinion also mounted for loose rotation on said shaft and formed with at least one peripheral notch engaged by a bent lug of said pawl for rotatably driving same in one direction and a coil spring tangent to, and in constant meshing engagement with, said pinion so as to act as a rack in relation thereto, a substantially rectangular casing slidably mounted on a lateral portion of said cigarette lighter body and having opposite inner faces engaged by the ends of said coil spring slightly prestressed therebetween.
 2. In a lighter according to claim 1, said casing and coil spring are so disposed in said initial, inoperative position that said casing can be used as a push-button for operating the flint wheel and producting the ignition sparks.
 3. In a cigarette lighter as set forth in claim 2, the relative initial, inoperative positions of said casing and coil spring are such that when said casing acting as a push- button is depressed mechanical energy is firstly stored in said coil spring and suddenly released and accelerated by continuing the exertion of pressure on said push-button, for improving the spark generation. 